Re:Factories in Space
by RC_ITR on Wednesday May 31, 2023 @01:24AM
(#36134753)
>However, this is unrelated to acceleration - these are constant angular velocities.
If it were not for the force of gravity, an object in motion would move in the direction of its instantaneous velocity. It does not do that, it instead accelerates toward the center of the gravitational body.
>In orbit this g acceleration is cancelled out by centripetal acceleration to produce 0 acceleration, or free fall.
But again, they do not "cancel out," otherwise how is the instantaneous velocity constantly changing direction?
Re:Factories in Space
by f154hfds on Wednesday May 31, 2023 @09:55AM
(#36138454)
You're bringing up the bizarre thing about gravity here. The only way we could be in 'free fall' undergoing 0 acceleration while still going in circles is if space itself were warped around an object.
If it were not for the force of gravity, an object in motion would move in the direction of its instantaneous velocity. It does not do that, it instead accelerates toward the center of the gravitational body.
>In orbit this g acceleration is cancelled out by centripetal acceleration to produce 0 acceleration, or free fall.
But again, they do not "cancel out," otherwise how is the instantaneous velocity constantly changing direction?